► William Loney R.N. ► Documents ► Ships' logs Eurydice ◄
Extracts from the log of HMS Caesar for the period 14 June 1858 - 14 July 1861
Sources: ADM 53/7090, 14 June 1858 - 12 January 1859; ADM 53/7091, 13 January - 11 July 1859; ADM 53/7092, 12 July 1859 - 17 January 1860; ADM 53/7093, 18 January - 30 October 1860; ADM 53/7094, 31 October 1860 - 1 September 1861.Portsmouth - Torbay - Plymouth - Berehaven - Plymouth - Port Royal (Jamaica) - Greytown (Mosquito) - Sacrificios (Mexico) - Havana - Portsmouth - Torbay - Plymouth - Gibraltar - Malta - Naples - Malta - Beirut - Malta - Corfu - Malta - Corfu - Zante Bay - Corfu
The 91 gun wooden screw ship-of-the-line Caesar, first commissoned by Captain John Robb for the Baltic in 1854, was recommissioned in 1858 by Captain Charles Frederick (who was to become a Commissioner of the Admiralty on 28 June 1859 and be replaced by Thomas Henry Mason). Frederick served on the Admiralty board until 25 March 1865, and was Commander-in-Chief at Queenstown in September 1866, when William Loney was (Staff) Surgeon at Haulbowline). During this commission Caesar served on the Channel and Mediterranean stations, although - while in the Channel Squadron - she was sent for a period of three months, together with the frigate Doris, to provide (as is revealed by Admiralty correspondence in ADM 128/54, folios 291-318) a strong British presence at Greytown, Mosquito, to discourage renewed activity by American "filibusters" - armed political adventurers.
The "Naval Intelligence" column of the "Times" newspaper (links in day-of-week column) gives some details of the ship's activities.
Here is a list of the ships principal commissioned officers during this period (from the Navy List; not yet checked with the ship's muster book for exact dates). The medical establishment consisted of two Surgeons, Joseph Caldwell and George Moore (the latter in lieu of an Assistant Surgeon) and one Assistant Surgeon, Edward Loney (until 4 June 1861, when he was invalided at Corfu with hemiplegia - i.e. the effects of a stroke - resulting in partial paralysis of right side and left cheek, and blindness of the right eye).
| 1858 | ||
| 14 Jun | Mon | Portsmouth, at moorings off Hardway. Henry Brehaut, Master, commissioned the ship. Hannibal's party preparing to receive ships company [Hannibal was Guard Ship of Ordinary at Portsmouth at the time] |
| 26 Jun | Sat | 9 a.m. Discharged the moorings into a lighter and was taken in tow by two steam tugs 10.30 a.m. Lashed alongside HM ship Bellerophon |
| 12 Jul | Mon | At single anchor, Spithead |
| 9 Aug | Mon | Weighed |
| 11 Aug | Wed | 49.30 °N 5.15 °W |
| 15 Aug | Sun | At single anchor in Portland Roads |
| 16 Aug | Mon | Weighed and made all plain sail |
| 17 Aug | Tue | At single anchor off Spithead |
| 25 Aug | Wed | 3.20 p.m. Weighed. Admiral in company 10 p.m. Med[?] Admiral north one mile, squadron in co[mpany] |
| 27 Aug | Fri | At single anchor, Torbay |
| 30 Aug | Mon | Weighed, squadron in co[mpany] |
| 1 Sep | Wed | At single anchor in Plymouth Sound |
| 8 Sep | Wed | Steaming out of Plymouth Sound |
| 13 Sep | Mon | At single anchor in Berehaven, Bantry Bay [south-west Ireland] |
| 18 Sep | Sat | Steaming out of Bantry Bay |
| 25 Sep | Sat | 50.6 °N 11.24 °W |
| 1 Oct | Fri | 49.42 °N 11.9 °W |
| 3 Oct | Sun | Moored in Plymouth Sound |
| 21 Oct | Thu | Weighed, Diadem in company |
| 28 Oct | Thu | 37.0 °N 19.3 °W |
| 3 Nov | Wed | 26.36 °N 23.20 °W |
| 10 Nov | Wed | 19.45 °N 30.16 °W |
| 17 Nov | Wed | 18.2 °N 49.11 °W |
| 24 Nov | Wed | 16.43 °N 66.50 °W |
| 29 Nov | Mon | Diadem in company. At single anchor Port Royal, Jamaica |
| 30 Nov | Tue | Fast to the Admirals moorings, Port Royal |
| 7 Dec | Tue | Steaming out of Port Royal |
| 11 Dec | Sat | At single anchor off Greytown [Mosquito] |
| 1859 | ||
| 22 Mar | Tue | Weighed and proceeded under steam. Diadem in company |
| 27 Mar | Sun | 3.55 p.m. Obsd an American signal of distress flying on shore, also a wreck At single anchor off Cape Dios Gracioas. Lieutenant [James W.] East in 2nd cutter to ascertain the cause of the signal of distress |
| 28 Mar | Mon | Weighed |
| 3 Apr | Sun | 22.29 °N 93.20 °W |
| 5 Apr | Tue | At anchor off Sacrificios and Devastation |
| 2 May | Mon | Weighed with Diadem |
| 9 May | Mon | 25.42 °N 91.16 °W |
| 15 May | Sun | At single anchor in Havana |
| 19 May | Thu | Weighed, Diadem in company |
| 26 May | Thu | 32.29 °N 75.12 °W |
| 1 Jun | Wed | 35.43 °N 67.59 °W |
| 8 Jun | Wed | 40.45 °N 45.44 °W |
| 15 Jun | Wed | 44.44 °N 32.29 °W |
| 22 Jun | Wed | Running for Portsmouth Sound, Diadem in company |
| 23 Jun | Thu | At single anchor, Portsmouth Sound |
| 25 Jun | Sat | Weighed and proceeded under steam into Hamoaze At moorings off Hayham, Hamoaze |
| 28 Jun | Tue | [Thomas Henry Mason captain] |
| 2 Jul | Sat | In the Queens Dock, Keyham dockyard |
| 21 Jul | Thu | At moorings off Keyham Yard |
| 28 Jul | Thu | At single anchor, Plymouth Sound |
| 22 Aug | Mon | Weighed |
| 28 Aug | Sun | 48.52 °N 6.51 °W |
| 2 Sep | Fri | At single anchor in Torbay |
| 10 Sep | Sat | Steaming out of Torbay |
| 14 Sep | Wed | At single anchor, Torbay |
| 16 Sep | Fri | Weighed Moored in Plymouth Sound |
| 2 Oct | Sun | Weighed |
| 9 Oct | Sun | 42.18 °N 12.1 °W |
| 16 Oct | Sun | At single anchor off the New Mole, Gibraltar |
| 19 Nov | Sat | Moored off the Old Mole [Gibraltar] |
| 1860 | ||
| 11 Feb | Sat | a.m. 6 Up funnel, lighted fires, up steam 7.45 Unmoored ship & weighed S.B. [Small Bower = port bow anchor] Weighed B.B. [Best Bower = starboard bow anchor] and proceeded under steam. Employed as requisite. HM ships Marlborough, Neptune and Cadmus in company p.m. 1.20 Made all sail to studding sails 2 Stopped engines 2.15 Up screw |
| 15 Feb | Wed | 37.48 °N 6.21 °E |
| 18 Feb | Sat | At moorings in Malta harbour |
| 1 Apr | Sun | Slipped moorings and proceeded out of habour under steam |
| 5 Apr | Thu | At anchor in Naples Bay |
| 7 Jun | Thu | Weighed and proceeded under sail |
| 8 Jun | Fri | At single anchor off Castellammare [di Stabia; south side of Naples Bay?] |
| 12 Jun | Tue | Steaming from Castellammare to Naples |
| 7 Jul | Sat | Weighed under all plain sail At anchor off Castellammare |
| 20 Jul | Fri | Weighed and braced up on stbd tack Off Naples at anchor |
| 4 Sep | Tue | Steaming out of Naples Bay |
| 5 Sep | Wed | At anchor off Messina |
| 6 Sep | Thu | Steaming out of Messina [Sicily, opposite Italy] |
| 7 Sep | Fri | At moorings, Malta Grand Harbour |
| 16 Sep | Sun | Being towed out of Malta Harbor |
| 19 Sep | Wed | 35.29 °N 19.19 °E |
| 22 Sep | Sat | 34.27 °N 24.33 °E |
| 25 Sep | Tue | 33.41 °N 32.07 °E |
| 27 Sep | Thu | At anchor at Beirut |
| 11 Oct | Thu | Made all plain sail. Weighed on port tack. Cast off & hauled in hawser |
| 15 Oct | Mon | 33.32 °N 33.02 °E |
| 18 Oct | Thu | 33.33 °N 29.02 °E |
| 22 Oct | Mon | 32.57 °N 24.55 °E |
| 25 Oct | Thu | 33.55 °N 22.50 °E |
| 29 Oct | Mon | 35.27 °N 16.48 °E |
| 1 Nov | Thu | At moorings, Malta |
| 8 Dec | Sat | In tow of tug. Steaming out of Malta |
| 11 Dec | Tue | Moored in Corfu roads |
| 1861 | ||
| 3 Jan | Thu | Weighed and made all plain sail At single anchor off Boca di Govito[?] |
| 7 Jan | Mon | 3 p.m. Weighed 5 p.m. At single anchor in Corfu channel |
| 25 Jan | Fri | 2 p.m. [Rear] Admiral Dacres came on board, mustered ships company and inspected ship 2.30 p.m. Admiral left |
| 26 Jan | Sat | Up steam.Weighed |
| 29 Jan | Tue | At moorings in Malta, Grand Harbour |
| 12 Mar | Tue | Leaving Malta harbour under steam |
| 15 Mar | Fri | Moored in Corfu road |
| 31 Mar | Sun | 8 a.m. Hoisted Royal Standard half mast & halfmasted ensign [Easter Sunday] |
| 1 Apr | Mon | 8 a.m. Hoisted Royal Standard half mast [Easter Monday] Saluted French consul with 9 guns on his leaving the ship |
| 27 Jun | Thu | The Archduke Maximillian of Austria came onboard with Admiral Dacres |
| 28 Jun | Fri | a.m. 8 Crossed royal yards and dressed ship in commemoration of Her Majesty's cononation [28 June 1838] p.m. 1.30 Undressed ship, down royal yards 1.45 Weighed B.B. and proceeded under steam. Queen , Victor Emanuel and Orion in company |
| 1 Jul | Mon | 37.59 °N 19.46 °E |
| 4 Jul | Thu | 38.08 °N 19.39 °E |
| 5 Jul | Fri | 38.05 °N 19.47 °E |
| 6 Jul | Sat | Working between Cephalonia and Zante [southern Ionian Islands] At anchor in Zante Bay |
| 9 Jul | Tue | Weighed |
| 10 Jul | Wed | 37.13 °N 20.30 °E |
| 12 Jul | Fri | Working between Cephalonia and Zante 37.36 °N 19.00 °E |
| 14 Jul | Sun | At anchor in Corfu roads |
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